Update 1/20/20. Japanese Hokkaido Weight Loss Pills are another in a long line of weight loss supplements from Japan, China, Vietnam, etc. aimed predominately at Americans. I admit I'd never heard of these slimming pills until it was brought to my attention by one of the readers of my blog. At various websites, these pills are said to be “in high demand,” and when I checked eBay, I saw some people selling them for over $60! Do these slimming pills work? Let’s see what the research says. This review contains updated and new information, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who tested Hokkaido weight loss pills and discovered what I suspected from the start… Also, see the review of Slim Trim U for more info.
Hokkaido Pills Ingredients
Hokkaido weight loss pills contain these ingredients.
- Dill Extract
- Chinese rose extract
- Trumpet Creeper extract
- Evening primrose extract
- Lotus
Is there any evidence that these ingredients help people lose weight? Let’s look at the research and see:
Dill Extract
They don’t tell you what “extract” they are talking about, but when I searched for weight loss research on dill, I found nothing. Dill does seem to have a diuretic effect so it may act as a natural water pill. I'm guessing that is why it’s in the ingredients.
Women who may be pregnant should avoid Hokkaido Weight Loss Pills. There is some speculation that dill may cause menstrual bleeding. I cannot find any research or case studies to substantiate this, however, but it is something to consider.
Chinese Rose Extract
Again, they do not tell us what specific extract they are talking about. What is the scientific name of the Chinese rose they are using? If anyone knows, let me know, and I will update this review.
Trumpet Creeper Extract
If you search for research on Trumpet Creeper, online, it can be a little difficult to find because its scientific name is Campsis radicans. Another name –albeit less scientific – is cow itch, which is a reference to how farm animals sometimes get a rash when they rub against it. This makes sense since the name “radicans” is the same classification as poison ivy (Rhus radicans).
That said, I could not locate any weight loss proof that Trumpet Creeper helps weight loss. When I googled Trumpet Creeper and weight loss, many sites that came up had to do with sites that sell weight-loss pills and that was no help. I then checked the National Library of Medicine and also couldn’t find anything. One problem with my search is that we are not told what extract of Trumpet Creeper is in Hokkaido weight loss pills.
Evening Primrose Extract
This is also called GLA, which stands for gamma-linolenic acid. The lack of evening primrose weight loss research makes me very skeptical. One study from the 1980s found evening primrose oil did not help weight loss.
Because evening primrose oil effects blood clotting, people taking blood thinners should avoid this product. There is also some perplexing cancer research hints that evening primrose oil might either reduce breast cancer growth or speed up breast cancer growth, depending on how much is used. The bottom line, if you have a history of cancer, talk to your doctor first.
The product Abdominal Cuts also has evening primrose oil. See that review for more info.
Evening primrose oil is sometimes used for PMS symptoms –with mixed results. Like Dill, women who may be pregnant should not use evening primrose oil.
It may be very dangerous. If you have my book on supplements see the chapter on evening primrose oil for more on its other uses.
Hokkaido FDA Update
In November 2012, The FDA alerted the public that Japanise Hokkaido Slimming Pills contained the weight loss drug called sibutramine, a weight-loss drug that was removed from the US market in 2010 because it posed significant health risks. Here is what the FDA said in their warning about Hokkaido pills:
“Sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some patients and may present a significant risk for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, or stroke. This product may also interact, in life-threatening ways, with other medications a consumer may be taking.”
This explains the very strange symptoms people have been reporting in the comments.
Lotus
Human weight loss research on lotus cannot be located. I did locate one test-tube study where lotus and L carnitine reduced fat buildup inside fat cells. This is interesting but it’s a study of fat cells in test tubes. You are MUCH more complex than a test tube.
You may recall that lotus is one of the ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen weight loss supplements.
On one of the websites that sell Hokkaido Pills, they spelled “primrose” wrong and there is broken English. Nobody is perfect but ingredient typos – and broken English on websites make me wonder about who put this website together.
Do Hokkaido Weight Loss Pills work?
Based on the research I can find, I say no, this stuff cannot possibly work – if these are the only ingredients in the pills. If people are losing weight, I am interested in hearing about it. Since I wrote this review, the FDA has confirmed what I thought all along – that Hokkaido slimming pills contained something not listed in the ingredients, a drug called sibutramine. Because of this, Hokkaido weight loss pills cannot be recommended.
What do you think?
Hi Joe! I am also from the Philippines. I just finished up 1 bottle in 3 weeks, almost 2 weeks of regularly drinking 2 pills before breakfast then the last week with on-off intervals because I don’t want to drink it when there is an occasion. Before taking the pills I weigh 143lbs after a week I noticed I already lost 6.6lbs because I weigh every morning. So with 1 bottle I lost a total of 8.8lbs.
In the first week I was experiencing diarrhea, frequent visits to the bathroom. It felt almost the same with LBM, where you would really feel your stomach gurgling. At first it was watery then weeks later my bowel was now formed. My appetite was also suppressed but I still eat small frequent meals through out the day because there was one time I experienced tremors in my fingers and a mild headache. (I must have been hypoglycemic that time because I haven’t eaten for a day so that night when I ate rice, chicken and orange juice the symptoms where gone) There is definitely drying of the mouth because of the dehydration from diarrhea. I think the effect of the pills is more of a laxative.
I didn’t experience any frequent headaches, insomnia or any pains like what I’ve read from the previous comments.
But what concerns me most are the post about the ingredients in it that are not for weight loss and also the health effects it may bring in the future like cancer or the others experiencing UTI, kidney stones etc etc.
Also the news link about the pills. I don’t know if those are the side effects of ‘fake’ pills or even authentic pills. Also the lack of FDA notice on this pills. I don’t know if I should continue taking this or not, have you found any research/studies about this pills? I’m really bothered about this. I hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Kris, everything I know about the pills I put in my review. I was concerned when the TV station in CA started discussing how the pills may have a mystery ingredient, something I have suspected. Personally, I dont trust the pills. I still say that other than being a laxative, there is no way they can work. Yet, for many they do. That makes me suspicious.
April 26,2012 (today) i started to take this pill, so I’m really really hoping that it can really help me to lose weight. actually it is my first time to take a slimming pill, my weight now is 209lbs so let us see if it is effective on me. I feel thirsty after i took my breakfast.
guys give some comment that will inspire me and give motivation for my self. 🙂
so i recently started taking these pills and so far they work. they pretty much seem to be like “cleaners” since they make you go to the bathroom alot and because of that make me thirsty. it also suppresses my appetite and im rarely hungry. my co workers are also using it and theyve lost significant amount of weight (around 10-20 lbs ea) in about 3 weeks.
Hello All,
I spoke directly to the newscaster: Amity yesterday after I viewed the video. She stated to me that if I am willing to come to Bakersfield, she will interview me personally as a user of these pills as an update! I most definitely will be seeing her next week!! If anyone else would like to come speak with her, then email me back @ my personal email address and I will contact her (She gave me her mobile number), and let her know ahead of time. Maybe we can set-up the date together! The more that comes forth to say they used these pills, experienced horrible results, even tho we lost weight we may in the future, heaven forbids, have health problems, and we know we can tie it to these pills.My email is: rodgers.crissandra786@gmail.com.
I do hope that someone will contact me! Let’s make sure these pills are taken off EVERY site, as well as EBAY A.S.A.P.!!
I tried to post this before, but got an error message.
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/investigations/146368065.html?tab=video
THANKS FOR POSTING this video! Amazing that some Hokkaido pills were shipped in gift wrapping paper to get past customs! Has that happened to anybody else.
TO Wendy,
Because of what you just stated: I threw the remaining pills I had in the trash where they needed to be in the first place!! I am sooo happy that any news would list this pill with sibrutramine, because as we all noticed it was NOT listed as being in the pill, just the ingredients that were ALL HERBAL!!
How dare they be sneaky with so many people trusting in this MAGIC PILL to lose weight.Also: I am angry because to sell a pill that you know is dangerous, you show you don’t care about the outcome, just how much you have lined your pockets, & your bank account with at the expense of all these innocent people desperately trying to lose weight!! I’m glad I got this off my chest today!! P.S. I took the last pill (3) days ago, and my mouth is STILL DRY!!.
I have been taking the hokkaido pills also for about a month. I have lost 18 pounds so far. I do experience dry mouth, headaches and absolutely no appetite. Friday on our local news they did a segment about these pills. THEY DO CONTAIN SIBUTRAMINE. Customs has been stopping many orders from entering the US. One of the local people who sell the product showed the letter that she received from customs on the news. It is very disturbing because the pills have been so effective. I was very glad to have found them. But they are obviously not very good for you.
Wendy, did your local news say that hokkaido weight loss pills have sibutramine? What did your local news say about them? Is there a link to the tv segment on the web that I could take a look at?
Hi i just got my first order of this Hokkaido slimming pils yesterday 04. 7. 2012, and i started taking this morning w/water as directed an hour before breakfast,honestly it really works.I did not feel hungry at all even though i wasn’t feeling hungry i forced myself to eat a little bit of bread w/salami but i couldn’t finish my sandwich because i feel really stuffed so that was it.If people taking this pills please just take w/water,don’t take with any kinds of juices,tea or coffee just plain water.Thank’s i’ll be posting in a weeks time for my result? Happy Easter to you all.
Hi Lea, ,I also have allergies but these pills do not effect them @ all. Of course everyone is different. I’ve been using these pills now over 2 months. I too as another commenter stated can say the weight loss I’ve experienced is mostly water. I thought so at first but gave myself the benefit of doubt, now I’m prettsure that’s all it is because if you look at the toilet after each b.m.its mostly water! So what does that tell you? WATER.So I’ve stopped using them. No more $$ to waste and now I’m eating better, walking on my treadmill and feel alot better. I was tired all the time!!
im about to order hakkaido slimmming pills but my concern is that it might trigger an allergic reaction. is it okay to take it even if you have allergies?
Kea, I honestly dont know the answer to that.
Dime111
WHEN I JUST BOUGHT MY JAPANESE HAKKAIDO SLIMMING PILLS, I BOUGHT THEM OFF BONANZA.COM AND THEY WERE ONLY 16.00 BUCKS WITH FREE SHIPPING. AND MY AUNT BUYS HERS FROM SOME LADY SHE KNOWS AND THEY WERE ONLY 20.00 SO IF YOURS WERE EXPENSIVE WE MUST NOT BE BUYING THE SAME PILL OR SOMEONES SCAMMIN YOUR MOOLA FROM YA. DEFINITELY DO RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING THE NEXT BATCH. OUR BOTTLE IS PINK AND WHITE WITH A LADY ON THE FRONT. JUST THOUGHT ID LETCHA KNOW.
HI! I JUST ORDERED THE SAME TYPE OF Japanese Hokkaido Slimming Pill MY AUNT USES, SHE HAS LOST A GRIP OF WEIGHT SAFELY, BUT! SHE ALSO WALKS DAILY, NOTHING OMG HARD, JUST WALKS WITH HER FRIEND EVERY EVENING IF POSSIBLE. AND YEAH SHES LOSIN FAST. AND IS VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. I AM CURRENTLY ON A DIET AND WATER PILL FROM MY DOCTOR BECAUSE I DON’T LOSE WEIGHT IF I DRINK FLUIDS, AND HELLO I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET HYDRATION, LOL, BUT I HATE TAKING SCRIPTS SO MY AUNT HAD ME ORDER THESE. I SHOULD GET EM SHORTLY SO I’LL UPDATE ON IF I REALLY LOSE WEIGHT OR IF I THINK IN MY OPINION ITS A GIMMICK.
I started taking these pills 2 months ago and im not going to lie I lost weight with in the first week in total ive lost 40 pounds but I stopped taking them because I first started off by not being able to sleep then I started having problems breathing . My head would hurt a lot . Everyone would tell me that I looked sick and pale. I forgot to eat . I would feel like if I had the pill stuck . I started throwing up a lot and not just that I started getting white spots all over my body . Im scared to go to the doctor im afraid of what they might say
JeNN, please dont let your embarrassment stop you from getting the medical help you need. Believe me, doctors have seen it all! Im sure you cant tell them anything that they have not seen before. They won’t laugh at you. Please stop taking those pills and go to your doctor. Will you do that for me?
Took Hokkaido and it works. Lost the weight without looking haggard, I usually have allergies at the end of the week, it’s gone and even if I lack sleep I don’t feel tired or weak. I usually take 3-4 mugs of coffee everyday, while taking Hokkaido I’m content with one and there are no cravings in food or caffeine.
Is it effective? YES Is it dangerous? I believe so, bec it’s too effective it scares me
Hi Crissandra,
I am from PI but its my first time to hear about this Hokkaido pill. There are lot of slimming pills from China that has proliferated our market here. They are sold openly even on sidewalks. I have taken some, forgot the brand name, and yes, it really work for awhile. But the (fats) I mean weight gain will keep coming back with vengeance. I think I would better resort to dieting and exercise.
It’s my first bottle and I have 2 days worth of these pills left, I’m still hoping that some scientist or someone could test the content of this product, regardless of what plant extract was used…but anyway, i lost over 7 pounds. I’m also experiencing the dry throat effect (I needed to drink more water anyway; I’m pretty dehydrated), sweating a lot from basic chores and casual walks when I’m in town. I was googling a while a go and saw similar side effects from a appetite-suppressing drug called DUROMINE, tho i dunno if that’s the drug that jap. hokkaido has.
I read a lot of hositilty in your response, Joe. Not sure if that was your intention. I have been following your comment threads for awhile, trying to find out what works and what doesn’t. Honestly, trying to find a replacement for the original solo slim (the stuff that had sibutramine in it). No hostility, no sarcasm from me. I’m sharing my experience. Sorry.
Fatkinatheart, no I wasn’t being hostile at all! maybe I just seemed that way as I was doing a little research on on on the fly on Solo Slim (which Id never heard of before you mentioned it BTW I’m glad you mentioned it!). I got the impression that you thought Sibutramine was a good thing to try which confused me becuase of its links to heart problems. If I was mistaken I am very sorry.
Hello! Does anybody know you can mix it with metformin (diabetic pill)?
Ohhhh, I thought it was clear that I took the solo slim that was recalled due to FDA analysis finding sibutramine in the original and extra strength. The company reformulated solo slim and now it doesn’t work.
I bought the Hokkaido pills because I like to be skinny without working for it. I’m totally normal bmi, size 4 when I’m fat, size 00 when I’m on sibutramine. I was trying to snatch up some cheap sibutramine so I wouldn’t have to diet and excersize. Ha. I’m 100% serious.
oh wow, well, I wouldn’t try that Solo Slim was recalled. Either way, please know being thin is not worth a stroke or heart attack. A size 4 is definitely not fat or overweight at all.
I posted a few months ago, about how there doesn’t seem to be any uniformity regarding the origin of these. Since another commenter claimed his supply was being held up in customs and that he was notified they contained sibutramine, I decided to try them. Obviously, the FDA would have released a public notice if his story was true, but I wanted to buy some in the event he was being honest and just ahead of the FDA announcement.
Anyway, I used to use solo slim, so I know how sibutramine works and these definitely do not contain it. I lost 10 pounds in the first month, but that was it. It came right back the week after I stopped taking it. The first two weeks, these pills made me feel full constantly, but it didn’t effect my appetite: my brain still knew I hadn’t eaten and still thought about food. Sibutramine, from my experience, suppresses your appetite by causing you to not even think about food. These pills gave me explosive diarrhea everyday, which means the 10 pounds I lost were all water weight.
In short, buy smooth move tea, and you’ll have the same effect for cheaper.
Why would you purposely buy the product if you thought it might have sibutramine? Sibutramine has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks and stokes. That’s why it was pulled from the US market. Here’s a link about that side effect http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a601110.html
I looked up Solo Slim and there are different products. The regular solo slim has an ingredient that they call Synetrim® CQ . that is another name for Cissus quadrangularis. Here’s my review of Cissus http://supplementclarity.com/cissus-quadrangularis-review/
It also has an ingredient that they call WellTrim® iG. I looked it up and another name for African Mango. Here is my review of African mango http://supplementclarity.com/review-irvingia-gabonensis-african-mango/
It also has something in it called leptocore thats supposed to reduce levels of leptin (a hormone made in fat cells). I did see on study on this product http://www.lipidworld.com/content/9/1/20 I have not reviewed it (yet). I dont think lowering leptin levels is the answer to weight loss (for example, eating lowers leptin levels too)
it also has Phase 2 which is a carb blocker. Many studies show that carb blockers dont help people lose weight.
Based on my very brief -and VERY non scientific – review of Solo Slim here Id say it might be Cissus and leptocore that have most of the weight loss evidence. Mind you, the “evidence” is only 2 studies – one on each of these ingredients. tTey are both on people though and that is good. I may take a closer look at this product in the future but this is what I see as I sit here watching the marathon of Parking Wars on TV 🙂